Before a sip, the scent is somewhat smoky; try it, and you’ll find a smooth taste with raspberry and blackberry flavors and a bit of a peppery aftertaste. It mellowed out a bit with time (and a few sips), and went well with a root vegetable and beet stew. The same would likely be true of anything roasted or perhaps sausage-stuffed peppers or chunky-sauce pasta.

Want to put on a mini Oregon wine tasting? Look for labels from the Willamette, Rogue River or Umpqua valleys. A label I’ve heard a lot about for a while now and written about before is Cloudline. Although I wanted to discover something new here, Cloudline does make a much-acclaimed smooth pinot noir that’s readily available in Columbus.